Vodka
by Vivien Williams
Summary: What happens if you add up: a dare, a Lily, a James and... some vodka?


Vodka

Alright she could do this, it wasn't so hard…She had seen hundreds and hundreds of girls do it on television before, and it really didn't seem too difficult.

All she had to do was get him alone preferably in an obscure and solitary corner. Lord, why had she ever agreed to do this, especially when it came from Venetia, whom she knew despised her? That girl may have been blonde, but she was smart: what better way to humiliate Lily in front of the other girls than to set her a dare she could never do?

Although there was one thing she hadn't counted on: Lily's fierce pride.

And that was how she ended up agreeing to that dreadful dare.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

The party around her was raging, the crowded dance floor moving with incontrollable limbs. She would never find him in this mob.

"Alright there, Lily? Never thought you would show up tonight, you didn't come to the game after all. Weren't you ladies doing a girl-night thing?"

"We are, I'm just here to collect some food and drinks and things… we've run out, you see." Lily lied, as she sweetly smiled to Sirius.

"Do you need a hand? Can't resist a damsel in distress…" He smiled mischievously.

"Um, no thanks…However, could you tell me where Potter is? I want to speak to him about some head duties?"

"Tonight? Can't you leave the man alone? He's just won the Quidditch cup, you know; doesn't he deserve dome time to rest?"

"Sirius, I know, but this is very important, I've just had this wonderful idea about the-"

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you where he is, hold your knickers. But you better not bore him or ruin his night, or else…" He warned but she already knew he would react this way.

"Yes, yes, I promise I won't … _bore_ him."

He pointed her to a corner where a group of people stood, laughing. Through this mob and smoke, she could just barely see Potter's head, with his mass of messy black hair.

"Is he still with Laura?" she suddenly asked, innocently as possible.

"Um, no, I don't think so. Think they had a rather messy break up. Why? Finally want to give him a yes after years of nos?"

"Not quite, no…" she left the sentence dangling, after a moment of blankness,

"Your business will be your business, after all. Just remember, if you annoy him…"

"Yes, yes, thank you Sirius." She smiled sweetly at him continued on her quest.

She moved hesitantly towards the group. She could do this. She could. Pushing past a few people, narrowly avoiding crashing limbs, she steadily made her way through the throbbing mass, towards him, her heart almost bursting from her chest. Passing by the drinks table, she grabbed a shot of vodka, and downed it in one go; to give her strength. Finding the taste rather awakening as it burned her throat, she grabbed another, and another, until her head was rather spinning. She oddly felt brave, daring and rather… playful. She grabbed a bottle of beer to keep her hands occupied and dived head first in the crowd.

She could already make out his contours. Potter was laughing the loudest in the group, as always. The way he managed to always be so joyful and ready and _there_ amazed her.

Head spinning, she felt oddly warm as if she were in a ball of electric cotton, warm tingles running down her spine. Alright, she could do this, she knew it, just breathe in, breathe out. And what if it was her first kiss? In all the magazines they said kissing came naturally, so it really wouldn't be that horrible for him because she excelled in everything, which had to include making-out, and what better time to prove it than now? Knowing that all this thinking came out from excessive drinking her nerves sprang back on her like a leaping tiger. Calm down, breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in-

"Potter?" She tapped him on the shoulder.

He swiftly turned around, his sparkling eyes dimmed when he saw her.

"What?" His laughing smile turned into a frown, he was obviously asking himself why Lily Evans would willingly want to talk to him. She didn't answer, oddly stunned.

"Evans, what can I do for you?" He sighed out.

"Can I have a w-word? Please?" Alcohol was making it difficult to talk. He tensely smiled, turned to his group, excused himself and followed her tittering steps to the dark corner that was still unoccupied.

"I, um, I… wanted to.. celebr- wish you congratulations." She managed to spurt out from her hazy mind.

"For what?" his frown got even bigger.

"For winning of course! Silly, how could you forget your own victory?" She giggled without really understanding why, and punching him playfully on the chest.

"Are you drunk, Evans?" He asked, a small smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"No, of course not!" She laughed harder. Her? Drunk? Never!

"Really? You seem rather tipsy to me…" He insisted, smirking and taking her arm to balance her, as she started swaying dangerously.

"No, and even if it were true, it would be your own fault!" She blurted out, spilling some beer on her black dress. Oops, she hadn't meant to say, dawn his smirk.

"My fault? Good God, everything seems to be my fault lately… How so, my dear?" He bitterly laughed out, his eyes seeming darker for a second.

"Well, if that cow Venetia hadn't dared me to do this dreadful thing concerning you, I wouldn't have had to drink that vodka... So it really is your entire fault, you see?" She quickly explained, motioning her free arm and spilling more beer on herself. Lord, she just couldn't stop herself could she?

"Oh, wait… Oops, sorry, you're not supposed to know this, please forget everything right this very second" she said in one go.

"It seems to me that Venetia Woodens is to blame here and not me, because she did set you that dare, no?" He ignored her completely and stepped forward, she took a step back and her back touched the wall. The music was still pumping so loudly she felt she couldn't even hear her own thoughts. The drink didn't help any, though.

"Perhaps." She answered, pouting, the wall was cold against her hot back. Gosh it is so hot in here, she thought, "But it's still your fault." She added. Her head was spinning furiously now.

He openly laughed at her remark and stepped even closer to her, close enough for her to feel his burning breath and smell his woodsy smell.

"…So tell me… what exactly do you have to do?" He whispered in her ear.

"… I have to…to…" She just couldn't say it.

So she did it instead. Kiss him that is. She breathed in hard, taking the opportunity so conveniently given to her by the gods above, and leaned just a few more centimetres in, clumsily banging her lips on his.

He was stunned at first, not really knowing what had happened, hoping it had, finally realising it was happening. He deepened the kiss caressing her tongue with his; tasting the alcohol in her mouth, liking the mixture of vodka and something sweet. Something he had wanted to taste for a very long time, but had always seemed unreachable to him. For years he had followed her, hoping she would finally give in and realise the honest love he felt for her, even if he himself didn't realise what his feelings truly were then. Growing up, he realized this wasn't puppy love, this was real love. And so before he could fall too deep for rescue, he decided to let go, because he knew that he would go crazy if he continued to live in this situation. So he stopped himself looking, talking and even thinking about her. After a while he thought he had done it, that he had gotten over her, until tonight, when it wasn't simply a dream anymore.

Now it was happening for real, and the joy he felt was as strong as an apocalypse, it was almost as strong as the disappointment that followed it. No, not for real, or fake, this was a dare, just a dare.

He moved away, disentangling her hands from his hair, his hands from her dress, leaving her warmth, pushing her away. She moaned at her loss, eyes still closed, she tried to close the gap between them once again.

"No Lily, stop." He calmly but forcefully pushed her away from his craving body.

"But, but I want- what? Why?" She opened her eyes wide and questioning.

"Because… This isn't for real. You can't use me like that. We can't do this or someone will get hurt." He answered resolutely, ignoring his body's urgings. God, he would give anything to be back on her.

"But…but, you taste good…" She answered unable to think of a better, more convincing reason with her mind so fuzzy.

He smiled sadly at that.

"You too darling, it's just… not possible." He finished lamely. She looked at him straight in the eye for a while. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life; tangled curls fell from her bun from where he had his hands seconds ago, her lips crimson from their kissing, her eyes wide and watery from the alcohol. Her dark dress was stained from the beer, as were her shoes, where the bottle had smashed after she'd dropped it to run her hands through his hair.

But she had never looked more beautiful to him. He turned to walk away, not wanting to torture himself anymore.

Suddenly, she swayed, grabbing his arm to catch herself.

"James, I don't feel very well." She said in a shaky voice.

"Yes, that's what happens when you drink too much. Do you feel like you're going to be sick?" He asked her, while holding her steadily in his arms, as he led her to the couch nearby. Thank god the party was over, and the people were starting to go back to their dorms.

"No, I'm okay, but you're moving weirdly." She swayed some more, giggling. They finally made it to the couch; James was half holding her in is arms. Setting her down, he sat down next to her. The second he sat down, she cradled against him, nesting her head in the crook of his neck. He was staying with her tonight.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she was whispering even though there was no one anymore in the room with them.

"Sure." He shrugged.

"You kiss well. Did you know the girls talk about in the showers? They say you're really good in bed. Don't tell them I said that." He chuckled.

"Can I tell you another secret? You really, really can't tell anyone. I've wanted to tell you this since 6th year but I was always scared that you would laugh at me. Remember how you stopped asking me out in October of 6th year?" He nodded, "Well… I was sad." She finished with a gasp as if she had revealed who had really killed Kennedy.

"You were sad?" He quizzically asked.

She nodded.

"Why?" He really didn't understand why she would be sad. He had thought she would have been happy for him to stop pestering and badgering her to go out with him.

"Don't you know why?" She asked in a small voice. She tried to hide herself in the crook of his arm.

"No, I really can't think why."

Blank.

"Because I like you, silly."

Smiling like he'd never done before in his life, he laid a kiss on her forehead.

The room was now completely empty and pitch black, no sound was to be heard, except Lily's soft breathing. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard in a muffled voice:

"James… I'm going to be sick!" She jumped up, swayed and ran to the bathroom.

And the only thing that James could say was:

"Thank God for vodka."

* * *

Hey guys!

Hope you liked the story! It's just a spur-of-the-moment fluffiness, but I hope you enjoyed, and that it made you smile!

Thanks for reading, and keep a look out, there might by more coming…!

Bisous, ciao

PS: I'm sorry I keep changing my name so much, but I promise this one will stay!


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